Tokyo Olympics 2020: The Most Viral Moments From The Games

With a new social media-savvy generation of Olympians, spectators have been treated to an unprecedented inside look into athletes' lives at the Games, from how they prepare for their events to how they live inside the Olympic village. Here are some of our favourite viral moments from the Games.

The Closing Ceremony Light Show

The Tokyo Games had its fair share of pandemic-related obstacles and drama. However, despite the difficult circumstances, it has been a great show of sportsmanship from the athletes.

This spirit of optimism and joy was reflected in the light-hearted atmosphere of the closing ceremony, with athletes dancing throughout and a spectacular light show at the end. And as France assumed the responsibility as the host of the next Olympics, it is undeniable that this Games—while imperfect—will remain a special one for the world.

Winning Medals and Hearts

Malaysia's 'Pocket Rocketman' and 2019 Gen.T honouree, Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, won a silver medal at the men's keirin event—as well as the hearts of Japanese spectators, as he handed out badges of the Malaysian flag immediately after his victory.

Ready for Paris

The Malaysian athletes who represented the country in badminton including Lee Zii Jia, Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying, have made the country proud, especially men's doubles team Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik who won Malaysia's first Tokyo 2020 medal—a bronze—by beating the world-leading Indonesian pair, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya in the quarter-finals.

They are now focused on coming back stronger at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Knitting Champion, Tom Daley

We all remember Tom Daley's excitement at winning a bronze Olympic medal in the 2012 London games. This year, the British diver has finally bagged himself an Olympic gold at the men's synchronised 10m platform, alongside teammate Matty Lee, and their reaction to gold brought the same energy and joy, if not more.

However, diving is not Daley’s only passion. The 27-year-old has been making headlines for sharing his love of knitting, stitching and crocheting—showing off his handmade cosy for his hard-earned gold medals as well as a special knitted sweater in commemoration of his latest Olympic experience. He even gifted a gorgeous orange and pink cardigan to Malaysian diver, Cheong Jun Hoong.

Support for Simone Biles

Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from the Olympics to preserve her safety and mental health came after her vault performance, in which she was struck by the twisties—a term coined by gymnasts describing an inexplicable and dangerous disconnection between the mind and body—and unable to fully complete her Yurchenko with two and a half twists.

In response to this news, the Olympic community—and the world—came together in support of the talented gymnast, with statements from fellow athletes as well as Hollywood celebrities. With many drawing parallels between Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, who recently withdrew from the French Open for similar reasons, it would seem mental health is rightfully becoming a priority among athletes in the sports industry.

An Explosion of Joy

After 20-year-old Australian representative, Ariarne Titmus, caused a huge upset by beating out Katie Ledecky—the American contender predicted to win—in the women's 400m freestyle finals, her swim coach, Dean Boxall could not contain his excitement. His over-the-top reaction has gone viral, with many noting the confusion of the Japanese volunteer, who was ushering the passionate South African to his next destination.

Making History

Another video that has gone viral was the reaction of Sunisa 'Suni' Lee's friends and family at home in Minnesota. The 18-year-old became the first Hmong-American Olympian as the women's Olympic all-round champion, keeping America's straight consecutive hold on the title since 1988. After the historic win, her father—who was paralysed in an accident in 2019—also sent a touching message about how proud he is of his daughter.

In an Instagram post, Suni Lee shared her feelings: "So surreal. I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support. Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and never gave up on me. This is a dream come true."

Searching For Gold

In one of the most relatable memes to emerge from the Tokyo Olympics, Canadian swimmer Maggie Mac Neil emerged from the pool after completing the 100m butterfly final and could not clearly see the scoreboard as she was not wearing her contacts or prescription glasses. In fact, the 21-year-old had finished first, earning Canada's first Olympic gold medal at the games.

Introducing Ilona Maher

Ilona Maher, registered nurse and member of the Team USA Rugby sevens team, has become a social media sensation for bringing fans into the Olympic village and giving them an insight on what happens before, during and after matches. Her hilarious TikTok videos testing out the controversial beds made from cardboard, sharing her love for the Team USA uniform designed by Ralph Lauren, and checking out fellow Olympians, who she describes as 'tall foreign demigods', has garnered over a total of four million views and counting.

A Joint Gold

After rounds of trying to outdo each other, Olympic high jumpers, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, asked the official if it was possible to share the gold at the finals instead of partaking in a final jump-off. When the official responded that they could both go for gold, they erupted into celebration and mutual congratulations in a true display of sportsmanship.

“We made history,” says Tamberi in an Instagram post, “Sharing such a beautiful moment with a friends, it’s the best feeling possible. We passed through the worse possible together, we got up together and now, we have won together!”

Barb Supremacy

Megan Tapper secured Jamaica’s first medal in the women’s 100m hurdles. After being awarded the bronze medal, the Olympian went on to give one of the most memorable post-race interviews by rapping a whole verse from Nicki Minaj’s Moment 4 Life after thanking her coaches, family, friends and fans.

It even caught the attention of the rapper herself, who later reposted a video of Tapper with the comment, “Incredible. Wow. Ok Queen. Talent on a billion. Beauty on a trillion.”

Olympic Romance

Anissa Urtez and Amanda Chidester may have stepped onto their softball pitches as competitors from different contingents but the engaged couple assure fans that their relationship is as strong as ever.

“We are beyond proud of each other for living out our dreams and loving every second of getting to experience this together! Even though I’m rooting for my team to win and she’s rooting for hers, at the end of the day our support for each other is unconditional,” wrote Chidester in a heartwarming post.

Childhood Dream Come True

After winning five gold medals for Team USA in two individual and three swimming relay events, Caeleb Dressel recreated a childhood photo to show the world how far he has come.

Cat Lovers Unite

Every cat lover felt seen when Olympic swimming champion, Evgeny Rylov, expressed his love for the furry animal by posing in pictures with his gold medal while wearing his beloved cat mask. It turns out that the 25-year-old had actually requested to don the mask on the podium during the medal ceremony, which was denied by the organisers.

A Striking Style Statement

There have been many memorable fashion moments during the Games, from Telfar’s stunning designs for Team Liberia during the opening ceremony to the colourful skateboarding kits by Piet Parra and Nike. However, a lot of the fashion buzz about the ultra-stylish, futuristic uniforms for one Olympic sport: air rifle.

Topics

tokyo olympics tom daley aaron chia soh wooi yik lee zii jia badminton swimming diving simone biles gymnastics azizulhasni awang sprinting athlete

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